nunavuumi iqkaqtuijikkut

NUNAVUT COURT OF JUSTICE

La Cour de justice du Nunavut
Citation:

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. v. Canada

(Attorney General) (2), 2014 NUCJ 31

Date:
Docket:
Registry:

20141110
08-06-713-CVC
Iqaluit

Plaintiff:

The Inuit of Nunavut as Represented By

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
-and-

Defendant:

Attorney General of Canada

Third Party:

-and-

The Commissioner of Nunavut as

Represented by the Government of
Nunavut and the Government of
Nunavut
________________________________________________________________________
Before:

The Honourable Mr. Justice Johnson

Counsel (Plaintiff):
Counsel (Defendant):
Counsel (Third Party)

Dougald Brown
Michael Robert
Barbara McIsaac; Peter Doody

Location Heard:
Date Heard:
Matters:

Iqaluit, Nunavut
October 29, 2014
Criminal Code, s. 276; s. 276.2; Canada Evidence Act,
RSC 1985, c C-5, s 39. Nunavut Rules of Court, N.W.T. R010-96, Rule 27, as duplicated for Nunavut by s.29 of the
Nunavut Act, S.C. 1993, c. 28.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

(NOTE: This document may have been edited for publication)

I. BACKGROUND
[1] As I indicated in Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. v Canada (Attorney
General), 2014 NUCJ 01, 2014 CarswellNun 1 [the Judgment],
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. [the plaintiff], and the Commissioner of
Nunavut [the third party], applied for an Order under section 39
of the Canada Evidence Act, RSC 1985, c C-5 [CEA]. This order
compelled the defendant to produce by March 31, 2014, the
certificate specified in section 39 [the Certificate] of the CEA.
This order sets out the documents that the defendant claimed
were confidential because they constitute a confidence of the
Queens Privy Council of Canada [Cabinet privilege].
[2] The defendant [Canada] argued that the March 31, 2014 timeline
was impossible to meet because of the volume of documentation
involved and other similar documentary production commitments
of the Privy Council Office [PCO]. Counsel argued that
December 15, 2014 was a more appropriate date.
[3] Instead of imposing a set deadline for the filing of the Certificate,
I decided to adjourn the motion to June 24, 2014. I did this
hoping that the use of the informal documentary production
process suggested by Canada would result in better progress in
the classification of documents that were potentially subject to a
claim of Cabinet privilege and the production of those documents
not subject to that privilege.
[4] When the hearing of the motion resumed in June 2014, the
plaintiff and third party were not satisfied with the pace of
Canadas progress. I indicated again that Canada would have to
increase the pace and the motion was adjourned to August 18,
2014.
[5] On August 18, 2014, the plaintiff and third party again expressed
frustration with Canadas lack of progress. I again exhorted
Canada to pick up the pace and set the next case management
conference for October 29, 2014. I also ordered Canada to
produce a report on its progress by October 22, 2014, so that the
plaintiff and third party would have enough time to consider their
positions.

[6] On October 24, 2014, Canada filed the affidavit of Terry Sewell
sworn October 23, 2014 [Sewell affidavit] and a Case
Management Brief. On October 29, 2014, the third Party filed its
written submissions.
[7] I heard oral argument on October 28, 2014 and reserved
judgment. I also set December 18, 2014 as the next date for a
case management conference.
II. ARGUMENTS
A. Canada
[8] Canada provided a large amount of detail to demonstrate the
efforts being made and the resources being devoted to comply
with section 39 using the informal process described in the
judgment. Canada noted that the process has two stages. The
first stage is for the Department of Justice, Canadas Evidence
Management Team (DOJEvMT) to identify all relevant
documents that may be subject to the Cabinet privilege. All
documents deemed by DOJEvMT to be subject to a potential
claim of Cabinet privilege are set aside for further review by legal
counsel in the Privy Council Office (PCO). All other documents
are produced to the other parties. The PCO then puts the
documents into one of three categories. The first one is to
protect in full, the second to do not protect and the third to
sever.

[9] The PCO categorized list of documents [PCO List] is then

provided to the other opposing counsel. The Department of
Justice [DOJ] Litigation Support Centre [DOJLSC] then imports
the PCO list determination fields into Ringtail software and the
DOJEvMT prepares redactions for the severed documents. The
list is then reviewed by DOJEvMT to cull out documents covered
by other types of privileges. A draft list of producible documents
is prepared and sent to the DOJLSC for the generation of data
and images. A draft production is generated by DOJLSC and
then provided to the litigation team paralegal for production to
opposing counsel. The draft PCO list is then sent to opposing
counsel with a flat file of data and opposing images.
[10] The Clerk of the Privy Council [Clerk] is the most senior public
servant in Canada. She is the Deputy Minister of the Prime
Minister of Canada, the Secretary to Cabinet, and the head of
the public service. She has many responsibilities and only
commenced her duties on October 1, 2014.
[11] Canada currently estimates that the production of the Certificate
for documents identified to date will require the Clerk to review
over 17,000 pages of material with more material to come after
the completion of productions in December 2014. Canada notes
in its brief that the production of the Certificate will be a major
undertaking of the Clerk. Canadas counsel indicated in oral
argument that, if I set a date for the production of the Certificate,
the resources currently devoted to the current informal process
will have to diverted into the preparation of the Certificate.
[12] Canada proposes three options leading up to the trial date on
March 9, 2015. First, allow the current informal process to
continue and consider the possibility of an order compelling the
filing of a Certificate at a later date. Second, allow the current
process to continue with the option of issuing an order leading to
a targeted Certificate. Opposing counsel could identify which of
the determinations already made under the current process they
intend to contest. A hearing regarding the scope and timing of a
targeted Certificate dealing with specific determinations could be
set for a date in early 2015. Third, allow the current process to
continue and require that a Certificate be filed by March 1, 2015.

[13] If the Court chooses one of these options, Canada estimates that
the documents identified up to the end of June 2014 can be
classified by the current process by December 15, 2014.
B. Third Party
[14] The third party notes that the informal process has resulted in
Canada identifying over 1,900 documents that may be subject to
the Cabinet confidence privilege. 613 documents have been
produced late. Canada asserts that some of its lawyers are of the
opinion that the Clerk should consider some undisclosed
documents to determine whether she should certify them as
coming within the Cabinet privilege.
[15] In December 2013, Canada requested that I allow it until
December 15, 2014 to determine which documents would be
subject to the Cabinet privilege. I held that delaying production of
the Certificate until that date would not allow sufficient time to
deal with potential applications for judicial review as well as trial
preparation. Despite that, Canada now proposes that no firm
date be fixed or if one must be fixed that it be set for March 1,
2015.
[16] The third party submits Canadas submissions are not
acceptable and that I should order Canada to produce the
documents or the Certificate forthwith.
[17] The third party noted my summary of Canadas position in paras
28-30 of the Judgment and then quoted my words in paras 34 to
37. It highlighted paras 34 and 37 where I indicated that the
December 15, 2014 timeline would leave insufficient time for
judicial review as well as stating that Canada would have to
devote more resources and set a more robust pace to avoid a
date being set before December 15, 2014 to produce the
Certificate.

[18] Canada knew it would be claiming the Cabinet privilege for some
time as set out in excerpts of Terry Sewells examination for
discovery. Nevertheless by November 28, 2013, some seven
years after the filing of the Statement of Claim, the PCO had not
even started to review the documents that might be subject to
the claim of Cabinet privilege.
[19] The third party has consistently taken the position that Canadas
pace has been unsatisfactory. The Sewell affidavit demonstrates
that the pace has not improved because the Clerk has not even
started the process of reviewing the documents identified as
being subject to a potential claim of privilege.
[20] In the 10 months since the motion was argued in December
2013, Canada has produced 613 documents from an identified
group of 2,048 documents of potentially privileged documents.
This pace is only slightly more than the 60 documents per month
that I held was not satisfactory in the Judgment. Of the 613
documents produced to date, 79 were produced on September
23, 2014, and 116 on October 10, 2014.
[21] PCO counsel has concluded that 1,081 of the 2,048 documents
they have reviewed should not be considered by the Clerk. In
other words PCO counsel have determined that over half of the
2,048 documents provided to PCO counsel by DOJEvMT do not
contain Cabinet confidences. These facts demonstrate that
DOJEvMT are imposing a very conservative filter in setting aside
relevant documents for potential review by the Clerk. One
consequence of this approach is that documents are being
produced much later than they should have been.
[22] Canada has only produced 613 documents because DOJEvMT
did not consider other potential privileges when vetting the
documents for the Cabinet privilege. As a result, there was a
further delay that resulted in DOJEvMT identifying 468 of the
1,081 documents as being privileged for some other reason. The
rationale for the claim of privilege has not been provided to the
plaintiff or third party to this date.

[23] PCO counsel have not even started to review the 500 documents
that DOJEvMT has provided them. If the rejection rate continues,
over 250 of the documents will be not be caught by the Cabinet
privilege.
[24] Even the 613 documents disclosed represent a significant
amount of new disclosure eight years after Canada filed the
Third Party Notice. Although these documents were not lowlevel, innocuous documents, but rather documents that were
thought to contain Cabinet secrets, they were only disclosed
after discoveries have almost been completed.
[25] Canadas proposal about continuing the informal process is
unclear about when the plaintiff and third party will receive those
documents that PCO counsel determine should not be
considered by the Clerk.
[26] Canada is unable to estimate, for the documents produced after
June 30, 2014, how many documents are involved or when a
review for potential Cabinet confidences will commence let alone
when it may be completed.
[27] The third party notes that I rejected the December 15, 2014 date
as being too close to the trial date and yet that is effectively what
Canada has accomplished since that date is only six weeks
away. To make matters worse, Canada now proposes that the
informal process continue and that I sanction the possibility of
the Clerk never having to issue the Certificate, or alternatively to
delay the issuance of the Certificate until March 1, 2015, eight
days before the commencement of the trail.
[28] Oral and documentary evidence cannot be completed until the
Clerk has determined whether to object to disclosure of any
information under the Cabinet privilege and issue the Certificate.
[29] Until the Certificate has been delivered, the third party will not be
in a position to determine whether to challenge or otherwise
dispute any of the claims for Cabinet privilege.

[30] The third party disputes Canadas interpretation that the section
39 process is commenced with an order compelling production
and that it is only upon receipt of the order that the Clerk may
object by issuing the Certificate protecting the information from
disclosure. Canada cites no authority for this proposition and it is
not the law. As noted at paras 8-10 and 16 in R v Wilson, [1983]
2 SCR 594, CCC (3d) 97, once an order is made the person
affected by the order has only two options appeal or comply
with the order.
[31] Section 39 does not authorize Canada to ignore an order
requiring production of relevant documents. By its own terms, it
provides for the basis of an objection to disclosure of information
before a court with jurisdiction to compel the production of
information not before a court which has compelled the
production of the information. The time to produce the section 39
Certificate is when the information is to be released, or sought to
be released.
[32] Rules 219, 221, and 224 of the Nunavut Rules of Court, N.W.T.
R-010-96, Rule 27, as duplicated for Nunavut by s.29 of the
Nunavut Act, S.C. 1993, c. 28 [Rules], require that Canada list in
its statements all documents in its possession, control, or power
that relate to any matter in issue in the action, including the
documentsthat the party objects to produce and the specific
grounds on which the party objects to production1. Rule 224
also provides that a party may obtain copies of documents in
another partys statement as to documents that the other party
does not object to produce.

Nunavut Rules of Court, N.W.T. R-010-96, Rule 27, as duplicated for Nunavut by s.29 of the
Nunavut Act, S.C. 1993, c. 28, 222.(2)(b)(iii).

[33] The issuance of the Certificate by the Clerk is the statutory

procedure by which Canada may object, on the grounds of
Cabinet confidentiality, to the production of relevant documents
in the discovery process. This procedure is intended to be used,
as set out in paras 5 and 21 of Babcock v Canada (Attorney
General), [2002] 3 SCR 3, 3 CR (6th) 1 [Babcock], to support
Canadas assertion claim that certain documents listed should be
protected. These being documents which would otherwise be
required to be produced. The Certificate is the trigger by which
information is protected.
[34] Contrary to Canadas submissions, there is no alternative
process allowed by statute. If Canada wants to assert Cabinet
confidence, it must follow the statute.
[35] It is not a matter of the Court ordering that the Certificate be
issued if it is not issued, the Rules require that the documents
be produced. In the absence of a Certificate or the assertion and
proving of another privilege, relevant documents and information
must be produced. Canada has admitted that the documents in
issue are relevant. Unless a Certificate is issued, the documents
must be produced forthwith.
[36] Paragraphs 22, 25, 27, and 28, of Babcock, established the
essential elements of the law governing attempts by Canada to
protect secrets on the basis of Cabinet privilege. Among other
things:
(a) s. 39(1) permits the Clerk to certify information as
confidential; it does not restrain voluntary disclosure of
confidential information;
(b) the authority given to the Clerk by s. 39(1) must be exercised
for the bona fide purpose of protecting Cabinet privilege in the
broader public interest; it is not to thwart public inquiry nor is it
to gain tactical advantage in litigation;
(c) the Clerk must determine two things;
(i)
whether the information is a Cabinet privilege within s.
39; and

10

(ii)

whether it is desirable that confidentiality be retained

taking into account the competing interests in
disclosure and retaining confidentially.

[37] Until the Clerk makes a final determination, the parties will be
unable to complete the written and oral discovery process.
[38] As stated in para 39 of Babcock, if the Certificate is issued it is
subject to judicial review. It is neither appropriate nor reasonable
for Canada to suggest so late in the litigation and so close to the
trial date that its informal process of partially disclosing
documents in tranches as they are reviewed by PCO has been
sufficient and that it should carry on with the Certificate to be
delivered at a date yet to be determined; perhaps as late as
March 1, 2015. The process has been neither sufficient nor
satisfactory and it has detrimentally affected preparation for trial
by withholding, until very late, what may be crucial evidence. It is
submitted that it ought not to continue.
C. Plaintiff
[39] The plaintiff adopts and supports the submissions of the third
party and further argues that neither the CEA nor the Rules
permit waiver of the requirements for document production.
Canada is not a special target with a free pass. The plaintiff and
third party need access to the documents well in advance of the
trial.
[40] Canada is in the current predicament because it was late starting
the vetting process to engage section 39. It is not the fault of the
lawyers involved but the bureaucrats who have devoted
insufficient resources. As a result, the plaintiff is in the difficult
position of preparing for trial and conducting discoveries without
sufficient access to relevant documents. Canada must devote
sufficient resources to the Cabinet privilege issue to provide the
other parties time to prepare for trial and this Court must ensure
that they do so by setting a hard deadline. Inconvenience does
not trump compliance.

11

D. Reply by Canada
[41] Canada submits that it has recently increased the pace beyond
its earlier pace of 60 documents per month. As indicated in para
12 of the Sewell affidavit, the PCO now has two full-time senior
lawyers and one full-time counsel as well as two senior full-time
and one part-time paralegals to assist in the review. The PCO
has also moved from a paper-based production process and
installed a new electronic document system to handle the volume
of the documents in this case. The new system took some time
to iron out problems to ensure it was compatible with the DOJs
electronic data system. It is now working efficiently and should
allow the informal review to also work more efficiently.
[42] Canada is not arguing that the section 39 process is optional.
The informal process used to date requires the agreement of the
other parties and Canada hopes they will continue to work with
that process. Canada proposes that it prepare another report for
the next case management conference scheduled for December
18, 2014.
[43] The defendant also points out that the other parties did not
appeal the Judgment, yet now want to abandon the informal
process.
IV. ANALYSIS
[44] As I stated at para 34 of the Judgment, the vetting of documents
for the Cabinet privilege should have been started and well under
way by the time I heard the motion on December 13, 2013.
Despite my concerns, I decided that the best approach was to
give Canada a reasonable opportunity to carry out the vetting
process using the informal process that has been in place for the
past ten months because I accepted that there was a certain
amount of bureaucratic inertia in a large institution like Canada.
Canada also had new lawyers on the file and they needed some
time to get up to speed on the file. I hoped that my comments
and regular reporting at case management conferences would
be sufficient to move the bureaucracy to devote more resources
to the task at hand.

12

[45] I clearly identified that Canada had to devote more resources

and to improve on the 60 documents per month pace, stating:
The Defendants proposal to produce 60 documents per month is not
acceptable. It will have to devote more resources to this task and set a
more robust pace to avoid a date before December 15th being set for
the production of the certificate.

[46] As the third party has pointed out, I specifically stated that:
I am satisfied that the Defendants date of December 15, 2014 to
provide a Certificate will not allow sufficient time to deal with any
potential applications for judicial review nor for trial preparation.

[47] Both the third party and the plaintiff expressed their concerns
with the pace of production at the case management meetings in
June and August 2014, and I again admonished Canada to pick
up the pace.
[48] Although the Judgment was released on January 15, 2014, the
documents were vetted and released at a leisurely pace between
that date and the case management conference in June 2014.
Twenty-three documents were released on March 15, 2014 and
eight documents on April 4, 2014. None were released in May
and then as the case management conference neared, the pace
picked up so that 98 documents were released in June, 2014.
[49] The pace improved after the case management conference with
277 documents being produced in July. There were no
productions in August, but the pace improved after the August
case management conference so that 79 documents were
produced in September 2014 and 116 in October 2014.
[50] I am satisfied that the informal process proposed by Canada that
I put in motion with the Judgment has not worked out as I
anticipated. Only at the eleventh hour has Canada put a system
into place that will pick up the pace. However, I was somewhat
dismayed to find out that the Clerk has not even started her
review and that Canada failed to review the documents not
subject to Cabinet privilege for other claims of privilege.

13

[51] I appreciate that Canada has again changed lawyers and that
they are not responsible for the current state of affairs. The
problem is with the bureaucracy not responding with sufficient
resources to allow a possible judicial review application to
proceed sufficiently in advance of the March 9, 2015 trial date.
That date was set on October 13, 2013. As I noted in the
Judgment that date will not be changed.
However, this court has committed more trial time to this action in
2015 than any trial since this court was created in 1999. In addition to
committing the time of a judge there will be significant demands on
the civil court staff and the Government of Nunavut in providing a
courtroom to handle the trial. There will also be a requirement for
electronic technical support to handle the documents necessary for the
trial. Now that the cast has been set with agreement of all counsel there
cannot be any delay in commencement of the trial.

[52] Although Canadas new counsel appear to have accelerated the

pace of production and created a more efficient electronic
document processing system, I am not convinced that the
informal process will be concluded in sufficient time to permit a
possible judicial review application. Some hard deadlines must
be set.
[53] Canada did not dispute the legal requirements for document
production outlined by the third party and I am satisfied it is a
correct statement of the law. Canada is required to prepare a
final statement of documents that includes all the relevant
documents in its possession including those that it claims are
subject to the Cabinet privilege. The statement will contain the
usual section that indicates those documents where Canada is
claiming a privilege other than the Cabinet privilege. For those
documents that it claims are subject to Cabinet privilege, Canada
must file the Certificate specified in section 39 of the CEA.

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V. CONCLUSION
[54] Canada is ordered to produce the final statement of documents
and have the documents available to the plaintiff and the third
party by January 9, 2015. If it relies on section 39 to refuse
production, then it must file the Certificate by that date as well.
[55] This result is close to Canadas second option and allows
Canada to continue to work on the informal process while also
working on the Certificate. I hope Canada will devote sufficient
resources to accomplish both objectives.

Dated at the City of Iqaluit this 10th day of November, 2014.

_______________________
Justice E. Johnson
Nunavut Court of Justice